


After the Storm

by SneetchesToo



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: M/M, post 2x02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29005383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SneetchesToo/pseuds/SneetchesToo
Summary: Carlos is tired of TK shutting everyone out and pushing them away, especially him.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 19
Kudos: 153





	After the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> ***Spoilers for 2x02.**  
>  **Thanks tkandbuck for the prompt idea.

_And there will come a time, you'll see,_   
_with no more tears;_   
_and love will not break your heart,_   
_but dismiss your fears._

Carlos had let TK fall into his arms as he sat on the stairs, his arms wrapping around the other man tightly as he pressed kisses to his head.

He had been worried sick about him all night and he was glad to finally have him here, in his arms, safe and sound.

But almost as quickly as he had fallen into his arms, he was standing up, pushing himself away from Carlos and heading back down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Carlos watched as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before leaning back against the counter, a sigh escaping his lips before taking a few sips.

“Where have you been?” He really should have just let TK do his thing and let it be, but he hadn’t been sitting up all night waiting for him for nothing.

“It was rough shift…” TK huffed out, his eyes closing briefly as he shook his head.

“I know about Tim, TK, that's not what I mean.” Owen had called him and given him a heads up, warning him that TK was awfully quiet and would probably need some extra care and attention. “Your dad said you left the firehouse three hours ago. I've been sitting here waiting for you. I've called… I've texted…”

“My phone died.” He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world and Carlos sighed as he stood.

“And you couldn't have found a pay phone?” TK rolled his eyes, eliciting a groan from Carlos as he moved into the kitchen.

“Who the hell uses a pay phone anymore Carlos?” He didn’t know where the anger was coming from, but he couldn’t miss the annoyed tone in his boyfriend’s voice.

“You know what I mean.” Carlos had had enough of the sass, now was not the time for this. “Why didn't you try and call? I've been worried sick.”

“I didn't know you were up. I figured you'd be sleeping after your shift.” The words stung more than he expected and he stopped in his tracks just short of reaching TK’s position.

“Where were you anyway? Did you go out?” He really just needed to know that the other man was okay and his attitude was making Carlos awfully suspicious. “Because no one else at the 126 knew where you were either.”

“Have you been keeping tabs on me?” Wasn’t he allowed to though? Wasn’t that part of being a boyfriend? “Jesus, Carlos, I was out.” 

“Did you drink? Huh? Did you use something?” He couldn’t stop himself from saying the words out loud, his blood boiling at the idea that TK could’ve messed up almost a year of sobriety.

“What? No! I was out, alright, that's it.” TK looked pissed and he knew he had probably crossed a line. “I needed to clear my head so I went out.”

“Out where?” But TK was crossing a line too.

“Why does it fucking matter man?” They had agreed to talk about everything, to share with each other these kinds of thoughts and feelings, especially when the day had been a hard one.

“Because I've been trying to get ahold of my boyfriend for the past three hours and he hasn't answered me!” And Carlos hadn’t been able to stop himself from thinking the worst. “Because your friends and I, your parents, have been worried sick!”

“Oh please…” The eye roll and the heavy sigh caused Carlos to bang his hands against the island countertop, causing TK to jump slightly.

“No TK, you don't get to do this. I know you just lost someone and you're hurting and I'm sorry.” He felt bad for everything the whole 126 had just gone through, but he was here to support TK and he couldn’t do that if he was pushing him away. “It was a rough day for everyone and we're all feeling a lot of emotions right now. But you don't get to shut down my concern for you!”

“I said I was fine.” TK didn’t even seem to care and that was the worst part.

“And I'm calling you on your bullshit.” He knew something was up and it was killing him that he couldn’t get through to the other man.

“Look, Carlos, not now.” But it didn’t appear that TK wanted his help, and he had reached a point where he just couldn’t do it anymore.

“Fine. You know what, you wanna be stubborn and push everyone away, so be it.” So he pushed himself away from the island and sighed. “I can't save someone who doesn't want saving.”

And then he found himself storming off, his long legs carrying him up the stairs quickly.

He didn’t want to leave TK alone right now, afraid of what he might do, but he was exhausted and frustrated and he was afraid he might say something he would regret.

So instead he fell into bed with tears in his eyes and was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

———————————————————

When TK woke up the next morning he couldn’t help but let out a groan.

Carlos’ couch was comfortable for a little snuggling during a movie, but it was not exactly made for sleeping on.

Especially not after a rough shift and a late night.

He had contemplated leaving when he woke up, figuring that Carlos probably didn’t want anything to do with him after last night, but he couldn’t bring himself to exit the apartment.

He needed to apologize and make Carlos realize just how sorry he was for his behavior.

So instead he had gotten up and started the coffee maker, sighing to himself when he heard the other man descend the stairs and offer up a sigh of his own.

“You're still here?” He sounded surprised and TK couldn’t blame him.

After all, it was his MO to run from situations like this.

“Yeah.” He turned toward his boyfriend and offered him a soft smile, knowing that it wouldn’t make things better, but maybe it was a start. “I uh… I wanted to apologize, for last night.”

“It's fine TK.” Carlos’ words didn’t reach his eyes and TK could tell by the tension in his shoulders and jaw that things were far from fine.

“No. No it's not. I was out of line, to speak to you like that.” It was something that Alex would never have tolerated, ever. “To just vanish. It wasn't right.”

“You're a grown man, you can do what you want.” But that was the problem, he had done what he wanted and hadn’t thought about how it could hurt anyone else.

That was pre-Austin TK behavior and he hated it.

“I didn't go anywhere.” He whispered as he watched Carlos move to the fridge and search around for a minute, coming out empty handed.

“I said it was fine.” He huffed as he slammed the door shut.

“I walked away from the station. I even got in an Uber.” He just wanted Carlos to look at him so he willed with all his might that the other man would just turn around and catch his eyes. “I was gonna go to the bar. I was gonna have a few drinks, I figured it wouldn't hurt…”

“But…” He let out a sigh as he finally turned toward him and TK took a deep breath.

“But then I realized how disappointed you would be. How upset my parents would be.” He knew that falling off the wagon wasn’t unusual, hell, it had happened before. “How the crew would look at me. And I couldn't do it.”

“I'm glad.” But before he hadn’t really had people who cared about him and his sobriety.

Sure he had his dad, and his mom was sort of paying attention, sometimes.

But his friends didn’t know or didn’t care, and Alex was just a few wrong words short of an enabler himself.

Here in Austin though, things were different.

And having those people care about him was what had stopped him from doing something stupid last night.

“Look, I was hurting last night Carlos, bad.” He swallowed as he thought about what had happened, about how they had lost Tim in such a tragic and sudden way, about how they were all so heartbroken while they waited for word on what to do next. “And then I was gonna come here, because all I wanted was to fall into your arms.”

“So why didn't you?” Carlos’ question was barely audible and TK felt tears threatening to fall.

“Because I suddenly felt very… alone. Overwhelmed. Pathetic. I don't know, pick an emotion, I was probably feeling it.” It had been like a waterfall, just constantly pouring down on him at once, and it had been too much for him to handle. “I didn't want to come here and burden you with that. And I didn't want to go home and deal with whatever it is my parents are going through. So I just…”

“Vanished?” Finally Carlos’ eyes met his and TK simply nodded.

“I had the Uber driver go around the block a few times.” He figured the older woman who had picked him up had thought he was crazy, but then he had tipped her pretty well for what was a short ride and she hadn’t complained or asked questions. “When I realized everyone was gone I went back inside. I sat upstairs in the bunk and cried. And then I went for a walk. A walk that lead me here.”

“The firehouse is almost 16 miles away TK.” Yeah, he wished he had realized it was that long before he had made such a decision last night.

He was far from out of shape, but damn were his legs feeling it now.

“Well, apparently I walked 16 miles last night then.” He shrugged his shoulders as he offered Carlos a playful smile. “I don't know how I got here, I guess it was just autopilot. I just… I needed to clear my head.”

“So you walked through the streets of Austin at three in the morning, for sixteen miles?” He was crazy and it was starting to show.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did.” He just hopped that Carlos didn’t mind it too much.

He didn’t know what he would do if he lost him.

Sure they had only been together four and a half months, but TK knew this was the real deal.

He was more in love with him than he had ever been with Alex, even after six years of being together.

“Look, Carlos I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't call or text or come straight here. I'm sorry I didn't just tell you any of this last night.” He had felt horrible about it all but he knew that, like himself, the other man just needed his space sometimes too. “I guess… I'm just not used to someone keeping tabs on me because they actually care.”

“Well, I do care, a lot, okay?” Carlos reached out and took TK’s hands in his, offering him the first real smile he had seen in a while. “So you're just gonna have to start getting used to that part.”

“I'm trying. I promise.” And he was, he was really, really trying.

“You've gotta learn to let me in TK. It's what I'm here for.” He knew it wouldn’t be easy, he had told Carlos that from the start. “This is a two way street remember?”

“I know. I'm sorry.” But it was actually proving to be a lot easier than he had thought.

“You can stop apologizing.” Carlos leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead then, and then another one to his nose. “I forgave you a long time ago.”

“And you still made me give that speech?” TK huffed out his response and Carlos chuckled.

“You gotta admit, it felt good to get that off your chest didn't it?” He was such a shrink sometimes.

“Maybe a little.” But TK loved it.

“Good. You know I'm always here for you right?” He nodded his head as he took a deep breath. “Even when you don't wanna talk, or when you wanna talk and just want me to listen. It's what I'm here for. It's kinda what boyfriends do.”

“Really now? Is that all boyfriend’s do?” Carlos rolled his eyes at his teasing but TK didn’t miss the smirk that crossed his lips.

“I think you know it's not…” He winked at him and he knew that all was forgiven.

So he did the only logical thing he could think to do.

He leaned in and pressed his lips against Carlos’, smiling when the other man pulled him in close, his hands cupping his cheeks softly as he held him in place.

“I really am sorry Carlos.” He whispered against his boyfriend’s lips.

“I know you are Ty.” The nicknamed slipped off Carlos’ lips like it was the most natural thing in the world and TK couldn’t help but smile.

“Yesterday was… it was hard.” Saying those words out loud took more out of him than he expected and he was thankful when Carlos wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his hair as he rubbed his back gently.

“I know babe. I'm sorry.” He couldn’t help but let a few tears fall then, his hands clutching Carlos’ shirt as he let a few sobs out too.

He was thankful that Carlos didn’t run, that he didn’t push him away or chastise him for letting his emotions out.

That he simply held him close and comforted him the best he could.

This was what had been missing from his life in New York.

And he hadn’t come to Austin looking for it, but he was glad he found it.

Because for the first time in a long time, TK thought that things just might actually be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> **Comments make me happy.**


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